Alex Sink, the chief financial officer of Florida and state fire marshal,
announced that the Division of State Fire Marshal’s Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD) Unit and Forensic Laboratory have been awarded nearly
$700,000 in homeland security funds to buy equipment to protect Florida
communities.

“We can never let our guard down when it comes to being prepared for a
potential disaster, whether natural or manmade,” Sink said. “We are
committed to doing all we can to make sure we are trained, equipped and
ready, and I thank the Department of Homeland Security for supporting us in
that.”

The EOD unit, or bomb team, is part of the Bureau of Fire and Arson
Investigations, and its members are trained to safely handle, transport,
dispose of and investigate explosive or incendiary incidents. The members
also educate hundreds of state, local and civilian personnel every year. The
bomb team is currently ranked number 12 in the nation for the number of
calls responded to for all bomb teams and number two in the nation for state
government bomb teams. The grant money will be used to buy a robot, bomb
suits and other equipment for the bomb team as well as equipment for the
division’s Bureau of Forensic Fire and Explosives Analysis, which operates
the state laboratory that supports fire and arson investigations.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has helped local fire departments get more
than $32 million in homeland security funds for equipment and training. The
funds have helped local agencies establish, train and equip 50 technical
rescue teams, seven urban search and rescue teams and to better equip and
train 28 existing regional hazardous materials teams.

Homeland security funds also paid for the placement of a permanent urban
search and rescue training center at the Florida State Fire College that is
the only “post-blast” collapse simulator providing fire and smoke conditions
in the United States.